In the early years of the Great War men flocked to the recruiting offices to join the army and do their part in the war. As we discovered a few days ago, equipping these men was not easy and so the leather 1914 pattern equipment was introduced to help relieve some of the pressure on manufacturers. Today we have an impression based on images of soldiers from the 18th Service Battalion of the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment, better known as the 2nd Bradford Pals.
The impression is based on these period photographs of members of the regiment in 1915 at Ripon Camp:
And recruiting in Bradford’s Town Hall Square:
Our member of this Kitchener’s battalion wears woollen serge service dress, with matching peaked cap and puttees. He has leather B5 boots and his equipment is the 1914 pattern leather equipment. This is worn in full marching order with pack on his back and haversack on his hip. His rifle is the SMLE used by most in the British Army during World War I (it’s the long Lee Enfield in the original photographs, but I have had to switch this out as I don’t have access to this pattern of rifle):
- Service Dress Trousers
- Service Dress Jacket
- Cap
- Greyback collarless shirt
- 1914 Pattern Leather Equipment
- Short Magazine Lee Enfield Rifle
- B5 Boots
- Puttees
Tales from the Supply Depot 